


The Sky Won't Fall

by amenokuma



Series: Life After War [3]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-16 01:43:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/856345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amenokuma/pseuds/amenokuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even a brief separation could sometimes feel like forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_It won't rain all the time._  
 _The sky won't fall forever._  
 _And though the night seems long,_  
 _your tears won't fall forever._  -Jane Siberry

 

Allen was lying in bed, listening to the thunder and watching the flashes of lightning split open the sky. The rain was running down the windows in rivers and he snuggled closer to Kanda, wanting more of the warmth his lover's body provided. Kanda was still asleep but he unconsciously moved towards Allen, wrapping his arm around Allen's waist, pulling him into a comfortable hug.

Allen was leaving today but he didn't even want to get out of bed. Sighing quietly so as not to wake Kanda he sank down under the covers and closed his eyes, hoping for just a little more sleep. It was going to be a trying day any way he looked at it.

 

"So…you're going?"

"Yes."

"Even in this?" Kanda nodded towards the kitchen window, the rain still coming down in buckets.

"I should have left earlier…" _but I couldn't bring myself to leave until the last possible moment._ "I won't be gone long," Allen reached for Kanda's hand and squeezed it gently.

"There's no guarantee of that," Kanda said, a slightly pained look in his eyes as he stared out the window.

"I promise."

Kanda looked at Allen, his dark eyes searching his partner's, and nodded. This would be the first time they'd be separated since moving here and it was opening old wounds in a way neither of them had expected.

Allen had received a letter not long ago reminding him about the annual gathering of survivors of the war. He'd written back that he'd be attending, as usual, but had made no such commitment for Kanda. After speaking to him about it Kanda merely grunted in acknowledgement but had said nothing since. When Komui wrote back it was to let Allen know that he'd be sending someone to pick him up. They would be arriving early this afternoon.

"There's no need for me to go again. I've said my goodbyes and there's so much to take care of here, including this one." Kanda placed his plate on the floor, letting Sumi pick at the remnants of his breakfast.

"This is the last time for me, too." Kanda glanced up at Allen as he said this. He squeezed Kanda's hand once more and this time Kanda returned the gesture.

"Do you need help packing?"

"It won't take me long, but I'd better get to it." Allen got up from the table, bending over to pet Sumi's head for a moment, and she rubbed back against his hand. He left the kitchen, calculating what he'd need to take with him as he walked to the bedroom.

Kanda watched him walk away and sighed as he pushed back from the table. He collected their dishes and left them in the sink, not really feeling like cleaning up right then. Sumi followed him as he went to the living room to start a fire going. The weather was much warmer now but the house felt damp today because of the rain and it made his joints ache. He sat on the sofa and laid his head back as Sumi joined him, climbing onto his lap, and he listlessly stroked her fur.

When Allen was finished packing he left his suitcase by the door. Sumi jumped down when she saw Allen walk in the room and went to him, brushing up against his leg. She'd picked up on the tension in the air and tried her best to diffuse it the only way she knew by lavishing each of them with her affections, but since that wasn't working too well she went to curl up on the hearth rug instead, leaving the two men to each other.

Allen kneeled down in front of Kanda, who gazed at him with a strange look in his eyes. Allen's hands touched Kanda's cheeks, sliding up into his hair, pulling him closer.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said quietly.

Kanda looked like he was about to say something but then just shook his head. He was feeling too much, not even knowing where to start. He didn't understand why this was so difficult. Allen was just going away for a short while and then he'd be right back, so why did he feel so unsettled?

Even in these tranquil times memories of the war still lingered. The uncertainty of when, or if, they'd ever see each other again as they were sent out to fight. He realized how many things he took for granted now and his own words came back to haunt him. There _were_ no guarantees in life. Anything could happen, at any time, and there were some things that should never be left unsaid.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Allen Walker," his voice cracked as he spoke Allen's name.

Allen's eyes widened.

"I just…needed you...to know that," Kanda murmured, resting his forehead on Allen's shoulder.

Allen said nothing, not trusting himself to speak. His emotions were so close to the surface he knew he'd fall apart once he started talking and it would make his departure all the more complicated. He needed to hold himself together right now, so he let his fingers trail through Kanda's hair, uttering a small "Mmhm" and hoped Kanda would understand.

The sound of Allen's ride pulling up in front of their home broke the moment, Kanda rising with Allen as he stood, and they made their way to the door.

Allen donned his coat and fastened the buttons, felt hands on his shoulders turning him, and he was pulled into an embrace. Kanda's lips were on his, kissing him passionately, his hands clutching almost desperately at the back of Allen's coat. Allen kissed him back just as hard, tears starting to form in his eyes before he pulled away, the two of them gazing at each other for one long moment.

Then Allen bent down and scooped up Sumi, who'd quietly followed along, petting her briefly before handing her over.

Kanda looked out at the rain, which had lessened but was still coming down steadily. "You'd better not get sick again…"

"…or I'll never hear the end of it," Allen smiled lightly. "Take care of him, okay, girl?" and stroked Sumi's fur again.

He turned up the collar of his coat, picked up his suitcase and they went outside, Kanda remaining on the porch as Allen walked quickly to the waiting cab. He climbed in the back and looked longingly out the window at his whole world; Kanda, Sumi and their home. Allen waved as they pulled away from the house and Kanda lifted Sumi's paw, waving it back for the two of them until Allen was out of sight. He shivered, looking up at the dark clouds in the sky, a storm brewing inside his mind, also, and turned to go back in the house. Which was all it was now. It wouldn't become a home again until Allen returned to them. The chill in the air was deeper and he made his way to the fire, seeking the only warmth that was left to him for the time being.

 

As Allen was riding further from home his mind thought back. Their first meeting wasn't the best start, but it had morphed into a grudging acceptance and respect the longer they were forced to work together. When that had turned into desire they had played it off as merely a way to deal with the stress of the job, but they couldn't quite put a finger on when it had become something deeper than lust.

They were both seriously lacking in the communication department, unless it was through their verbal and physical sparring when people would give them a wide berth while they were going at it. They found themselves wanting to continue the physical part in private, but the emotional aspect wasn't there yet.

The war had worsened and their feelings had deepened as a result, but they never felt a need to voice them, because when they were together, on the battlefield or off, they were in perfect sync. They just _knew_ , and now here they were, living in this little piece of England they called home.

A few tears fell that he'd been holding back. This wouldn't do. He wasn't even through the town and he was already feeling homesick. He wiped the tears away and asked the driver to stop at a restaurant they frequented so he could get a box lunch to take with him on the train. They made him an extra large one and he exchanged brief greetings with a few people who'd braved the rain before getting back in the cab to be on his way.

They made good time getting to the station but the trains were running late because of the bad weather so Allen idled away the wait inside the building, playing card games with himself. When the train finally arrived he wasted no time boarding, finding a quiet corner of the car to occupy. It seemed to take forever for them to be under way and by the time the train got up to speed he was a ball of nerves so he decided to try some meditation.

Allen had been sitting in sessions with Kanda for a little while now and the sight was an amusing one. Kanda, trying to keep himself calm while offering terse suggestions on how to sit and breathe. Allen, with his fidgeting until he could settle down and do as he was instructed, and Sumi sitting between them doing her cat version of the practice.

Allen closed his eyes, the repetitive sounds of the moving train helping him to relax as he started to sink deeper. During their sessions Kanda had corrected Allen's misconceptions of what meditation was all about. While concentrating on the all important breath, it was more about allowing random thoughts to pass by, looking at them in a detached way and then letting them go, rather than just thinking about nothing. The trouble was, all his random thoughts were about Kanda right now, so he tried to set those aside to hopefully make room for something different to show up. In this way the time passed by, his mind mimicking the actions of the train as it took him further away from where he wanted to be.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Kanda was outside checking the gardens now that the rain had let up a bit. The vegetable patch in the back was a muddy mess and he used the hoe to spread the soil evenly between the rows. Hopefully the rains would stop soon and then he'd be able to better assess the damage. Walking/limping to the front he was idly thinking about getting a cane while he chuckled to himself as he watched Sumi stepping gingerly through the wet grass. She gave up her explorations, however, when it began to sprinkle and quickly made her way back to the safety of the porch.

The flower garden wasn't in much better shape, some plants wilting badly from overwatering. Kanda dropped the hoe to the side and was bending over, pulling weeds and clearing the build up of mud from around the flowers, when the next thing he knew he was face down on the ground with a searing pain running through his leg. He managed to push himself up onto his one good knee, the other unable to support any weight at all, and just sat there for a minute catching his breath.

"Fuck."

Of course this would happen _now_ of all times, and then the sky opened up with another downpour.

"Shit…figures," he growled, quickly becoming drenched as he sat on the muddy ground. Kanda glared up at the sky while the rain poured off his face. Sighing, he reached over to pick up the hoe, holding it upright so he could pull himself to stand on one foot. Taking a few deep breaths he moved slowly to the house, using the hoe to make up for his useless leg. By the time he reached the porch he was breathing heavily, leaning against the door for a moment before opening it to let Sumi in. Dropping the hoe, he grabbed on to whatever he could as he made his way inside, and dragged his sopping wet self down the hall to the bathroom, leaving a muddy trail behind him.

It took a long time for Kanda to strip off all his clothes, throwing them into the tub one by one. He washed his face and arms clean of the mud and dried himself the best he could. While leaning against the sink he ran the towel once more over his hair, thankful that it was shorter. Giving his body a once over nothing felt broken but he was bruised from the fall, and unless Allen took forever coming home there was no way he was hiding this from him. Just the thought of how Allen would scold him and fuss over him made Kanda smile, and miss him all the more.

He stopped by the bedroom to get a long nightshirt, pulling it on over his head. He was exhausted and chilled to the bone, only wanting to lie down; but not on the bed. He couldn't bring himself to sleep there. He'd tried, but it felt too big and cold, missing the warm body that would curl up next to him. Turning away he made slow, steady progress, using the wall for support as he limped back down the hall to the living room, gritting his teeth when he attempted to use his injured leg. He was grateful there were some burning embers left in the fireplace and he gripped the mantel as he stoked it back to life, adding more fuel. Then he collapsed on the sofa.

"Ow."

Well, that was stupid. He'd need to be more careful how he moved. The blanket he'd been using was draped over the back and he pulled it around him, rubbing his arms as he shivered and his teeth chattered. Then he started sneezing. Getting sick on top of having a bum leg would _not_ be good because he wouldn't be able to get to the doctor in town when he was like this.

They really needed to consider getting a telephone. They'd gotten along fine so far with just Allen's letter writing, and their health was relatively stable but that wouldn't last forever. There were too many unknown factors and Kanda wanted to be prepared for any eventuality. Not that many residences had phones right now, being mostly limited to business use, but Komui could certainly set them up with something.

And then there were the gardens to consider. It looked like he'd have to accept Allen's help after all. The joint pain he'd been experiencing was mostly due to the constant upkeep the gardens demanded. He'd been limping a lot lately and he wasn't surprised that his knee had finally given out on him.

As Kanda mulled all this over in his head his body had gradually warmed and fatigue set in, so he slowly lowered himself down on the sofa, wincing as he lifted his bad leg to stretch it out. His head sank into the pillow and he closed his eyes, beginning to take slow, deep breaths; in through the nose, out through the mouth, calming his mind, putting himself in a semi-meditative state so he wouldn't focus on the pain. He wanted to avoid painkillers if possible, waiting it out to see how bad it got first. If he resorted to medication he might unwittingly do more damage. Pain was his body's way of letting him know what his limits were and if he couldn't feel it he might make matters worse. When he had it under control he opened his eyes since he'd been feeling Sumi's presence by his side for some time now. She was sitting patiently next to him and he let his arm dangle out from under the blanket.

"Hey there," he said quietly, scratching her under the chin. "Sorry, girl, but you're gonna have to fend for yourself for a while," offering her a weak smile. She gave a soft meow, licked his fingers and settled down on the floor, wrapping her tail around herself.

Kanda pulled the blanket up to his chin and turned his face into the pillow. As he was falling into an uneasy sleep he whispered, "Just come home," and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

 

The train ride took entirely too long, with frequent disruptions in service from the constant rains covering the country, and Allen was becoming increasingly downhearted, vowing to himself to never leave home again without Kanda.

Lavi met him at the station and they grabbed a cab to the hotel where everyone would be meeting, making small talk on the way. Komui had reserved one of the banquet rooms for the occasion and after Allen checked in at the front desk they took a quick look.

"Wow, they really decorated it nicely," Allen said as he looked around.

"Didn't they?" Lavi grinned at him, but couldn't help noticing that Allen didn't seem his usual upbeat self. He had a pretty good idea why that was, given the lack of a certain grumpy partner. "We almost thought ya wouldn't make it."

"I was beginning to think so, too. I just _had_ to pick the worst possible day to travel on." Allen grimaced.

"Well, you're here, and in plenty of time. The party's not 'til tomorrow so why don't ya just go to your room and rest," steering Allen away from the hall.

"Lavi…" Allen gave him a withering look. "It's _not_ a party," moving over to walk on Lavi's left side.

"Eheh…" Lavi scratched his head and smiled. "I think our 'ole war buddies would beg to differ. They'd want us to be havin' a good time, ya know?"

Allen sighed. "I suppose you're right, but I should at least go see Lenalee. She'll probably be mad at me if I don't say Hi."

"Don't worry 'bout that. You just go have a good lie down and we'll see ya tomorrow," and he gave Allen a slight push in the direction of his room.

"…if you say so, and thanks for coming to meet me," Allen said, turning to walk away.

"No problem," Lavi waved him off and went to meet up with Lenalee and the kids. She'd been fretting up a storm since Allen was late arriving, telling Lavi that she wanted to know the minute they got to the hotel, but Lavi was sure she'd understand why Allen hadn't come to see her when he explained the tired state their friend was in.

Allen walked into his room and put his suitcase down. The large bed looked inviting but he hesitated, emptiness creeping in on top of being weary. He shook his head and went to wash his face before digging out some pajamas. Once he'd changed he got into bed, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.

 _I need to get it together._ It wouldn't be fair to everyone if they saw him tomorrow with such a long face. The last thing he wanted was for them to worry.

_"Just go to sleep, dumbass."_

Allen smiled, imagining the exasperation in Kanda's voice and the look he would've been wearing while he grumped at Allen. Rolling over to the side of the bed he'd usually occupy at home, he wrapped his arm around the pillow and buried his face in the clean linens. But this wasn't the scent he longed for, and he felt small and cold as he tried to push thoughts of Kanda's warm body out of his mind as the rain picked up in intensity outside.


	3. Chapter 3

When Allen woke it was late morning. He bathed and dressed and went to find the others. The 'party', as Lavi had called it, was soon and there would be plenty to eat but Allen's appetite had dwindled. People were already gathering in the banquet room and the tables were laid out with quite a nice spread. It was as if Jerry had taken charge of the hotel's kitchen, and for all Allen knew he probably had.

He made the rounds of old friends, all of them happy to see him once more, but cringed inwardly when asked why Kanda wasn't with him. He smiled sweetly and answered politely over and over again.

"Now that's somethin' I haven't seen in a while," Lavi said, when he and Lenalee arrived with the kids and Komui.

"What's that?" Lenalee asked, looking where Lavi was nodding his head. "Oh. Allen's fake smile," she said quietly, turning to Komui. "Did you know Kanda wouldn't be coming?"

"Allen never said, and I had a feeling he wouldn't, but I was still hoping he might," Komui replied and sighed.

"Oh well, what's done is done," Lavi said as the kids tugged him along to the food, still keeping an eye on Allen who had moved on to talk with Johnny and Reever.

"So that's the gist of it. What do you guys think, huh?" Allen was feeling more like his old devious self as he explained about Kanda's idea for a greenhouse, noting the way both men's eyes lit up. He could almost hear the gears turning when they went to confer with some of the old science team present, already forming plans for how the greenhouse should be built. Kanda would probably kill him for this but Kanda was the one who brought it up in the first place. Allen would just deal with that later.

Chuckling to himself now that he was starting to feel better, he decided it was time to eat, but before he could get to the table he ran into Marie and Miranda.

"So, what's this I see?" Allen grinned at Miranda, indicating the shining ring on her finger. "I take it congratulations are in order."

"Marie just asked me two days ago," she blushed bright red, "and we hoped to see you here so we could tell you in person. By the way, I don't see Kanda anywhere."

"Ah, well, lots of things to take care of at home, and we try not to impose on the townspeople if we can help it, and you know how he is about crowds."

"All too well," Marie chuckled, "but I hope you'll consider coming to the wedding."

"Of course! And I'll be sure to drag the sourpuss along," a genuine smile on his face as they walked to the table, and he began loading a little of everything on his plate. He excused himself and went to sit at an empty table in the corner, picking at his food as he listened to snatches of conversations all around him. Friends reminisced between laughter and tears, children played and loved ones exchanged endearing looks; and Allen's heart ached.

Lenalee touched Lavi's arm lightly, indicating Allen sitting alone in the corner and he nodded.

"Ya know, Lena, there's something wrong with Allen," he said, keeping his voice down.

"You mean, besides the obvious?" Lenalee answered under her breath as they walked towards their friend.

"Yeah. I noticed he kept trying to keep people on his right side when he was talking to them. Did the same thing to me yesterday."

"You think he's having a problem with his eye?"

"But he'll probably never admit it. Man, the two of them are so stubborn when it comes to sharing stuff like that," he whispered, then in a louder voice, "Hey, Allen, how 'bout some company?"

Allen just nodded, indicating with his hand to have a seat because his mouth was full. It would be a good distraction. He reached for a glass of water to wash the food down but his vision blurred and dimmed suddenly, causing him to miss, his hand bumping the side of the glass instead, knocking it over. A sharp pain in his left eye instinctively made him want to cover it, but he didn't want to alert the others that anything was wrong.

"Whoa, hey…" Lavi reacted instantly, grabbing one of the napkins to sop up the liquid. His eye narrowed as he looked at Allen. "You okay?"

"Yeah…clumsy me," and Allen laughed it off. His vision had been deteriorating over time, and he shivered imperceptibly, remembering something Kanda had once said about not wanting to be some place unfamiliar if something should happen to them.

"Are you sure?" Lenalee asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine. Really." Allen lied, hoping he sounded convincing.

He'd been thinking of home before Lenalee and Lavi had sat down, imagining Kanda working outside if the rains had let up. He'd always admired how devoted Kanda was to his gardens. Actually, he was pretty territorial about it, and Allen just wished he'd let him help. Sometimes, he even felt slightly jealous of the amount of time he spent on them, but knew they were an important part of who Kanda was, and a source of relaxation for him, too.

Watching all his friends made him both happy and sad. Barring an accident or illness, all of them would more than likely outlive Kanda and him. As all the talk continued on around him Allen started to get agitated. They were all here today to share their grief with their loved ones at their side, but there was an empty place beside him where Kanda should've been and the longing and ache built in him until Allen couldn't take it any longer.

"I'm sorry, Lenalee." He bowed his head.

"For what?"

"I lied. I'm not fine at all."

"Oh, Allen," her voice soft and knowing.

A touch on his arm and Allen raised his head to see Lavi's smiling face. "S'okay, buddy. He's probably a mess right now, too. C'mon, let's get you packed up and see how the trains are running." They waited for Allen to tell everyone goodbye and collect his luggage and then rode with him to the station.

"You know we can't help worrying about the two of you. I wish we had a better way to stay in touch than just letters. Maybe you could talk to my brother about getting a phone," Lenalee said as they sat with Allen, waiting for the train.

"I'm sure Kanda would _love_ that idea," Allen laughed, thinking of the scowl that would come with the suggestion.

"I could call Yuu anytime I wanted to! You should do it, Allen." Lavi snickered with a gleam in his eye.

"He'd probably just break it." Allen sighed and shook his head, but this was a good idea. Now he just needed to convince Kanda of that. The sound of the train whistle broke up their conversation and Allen picked up his bag, moving onto the platform. He hugged Lenalee and Lavi and asked them to thank everyone once again for their understanding at him leaving so suddenly. The train pulled into the station and Allen boarded, waving to his friends out the window after he found a good seat.

When he was finally under way it felt like the train was moving at a snail's pace, so he started to take deep breaths again to move himself into a calmer space and allowed his mind to wander. _I wonder what he's doing right now…_ thoughts of Kanda drifting around as the train steadily carried him back to where he belonged.  


 

It had been days since Allen had left and Kanda had lost track of time, his focus solely on his knee. He rubbed medicated salves on the limb along with mild stretches to keep it from getting stiff, and it was slowly on the mend. When he could finally stand on his leg without too much pain he set about mopping up the muddy hallway and washing out his clothes. Sumi was his constant companion now, and he let her decide their schedule, stopping whatever he was doing and following her to the kitchen when she deemed it was time for a break.

He watched her eat as he sat at the table, having some tea himself along with whatever was easiest to fix, straightening his leg out when the knee began to throb. The thought of being incapacitated went against his very nature but was always a very real possibility. It irritated him just to think about it, and even if it was Allen taking care of him it still didn't go down well. Actually, that just made it worse, because the last thing he wanted was to become a burden to him. Allen had enough shit to deal with without him adding to it. Then a chill ran up his spine when he remembered Allen's slightly sadistic side. Nope. Not going down that road anytime soon if he could help it.

Kanda was standing at the sink finishing up the dishes that he'd let pile up when he heard the sound of someone approaching. He looked out the window and his eyes flew open, dropping the dish towel on the floor in his haste to get to the front door.

Allen was humming to himself as he walked the last leg of his trip, happy to see his home again, and there was Kanda, standing in the doorway, looking a little out of breath. Sumi zipped past him and leapt at Allen. He caught her in his arms, dropping his suitcase in the process, and stroked her soft fur as she licked his cheek and nudged his face with her nose.

"Hello, sweetheart," Allen chuckled as he transferred her to one arm and picked up his suitcase, closing the distance to the porch.

"Hey." Allen smiled, even though he looked a little tired.

"What took you so long? You said you'd be right back."

"Nice to see you, too," he huffed out, "and you can blame it on the weather. Delays everywhere I went."

"Where's your ride? Don't tell me you walked from town."

"I had them let me out when we reached the turnoff. Felt like walking because it finally stopped raining." He stepped onto the porch when it began to sprinkle. "Looks like I made it just in time."

"Yeah." Kanda turned and walked back in the house. Allen noticed he was moving a lot slower and limping more. Sumi jumped to the floor and went back to the kitchen to hopefully find something more to eat now that she'd properly welcomed her human home. As Allen took off his coat and hung it up he said, "Did you hurt yourself while I was gone?"

Kanda just brushed him off with a grunt. Not to be deterred Allen said, "Honestly, Kanda..."

"Leg gave out on me when I was outside."

"You weren't going tell me, were you?"

"It's no big deal."

"Keeping things from me _is_ a big deal," Allen bit his lip, "but I guess I'm not one to talk."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Kanda narrowed his eyes.

"I accidentally knocked a glass over. I tried to pick it up but my vision went a little blurry and I missed it."

"Just a _little_ blurry?"

"…it went dim, too," _and there was that sharp pain._ "Look, I really don't have the energy for this right now."

"I noticed. Train ride wore you down?"

"Yeah. I should've just stayed home."

"I would've been pissed if you hadn't gone. You _did_ promise them."

"I know…"

Kanda gave Allen the once over. He looked thinner. "You haven't been eating right, either."

"Didn't have much of an appetite."

"Right. You should get a bath first and I'll fix you something," taking Allen by the hand, pulling him down the hall. Allen glanced into the living room as they passed by and stopped short. Kanda winced, a slight pain in his leg at the sudden movement.

"What?" he muttered.

"Have you been...sleeping on the sofa?"

"What of it. It's been damp here, and everything aches," he mumbled as they moved towards the bathroom. Kanda readied the bath while Allen undressed and stepped back to let him sink into the soothing water, but before Kanda could turn to leave he felt a wet hand on his wrist.

"Don't go. I'm not that hungry right now, so please…" but Allen didn't need to say any more. Kanda was already removing his clothes. Allen gasped when he saw the bruises on Kanda's body as he climbed carefully into the tub.

"Kanda, those bruises…"

"Not now," he said quietly as he gathered Allen in his arms, kissing him deeply…and all their cares melted away. This was right. This was how it should be. Their lips parted briefly, both of them gasping for air before Kanda began again, slower this time. It was a moment they never wanted to end, completely lost in each other. Their kisses and loving touches conveying everything.

"Thought you said you weren't hungry," Kanda chuckled as his fingers traced the scars on Allen's body.

"Not for food anyway," Allen grinned, hands lightly moving over the bruised skin.

"Still looking pretty good for your old age," feeling the toned muscle as his hands ran up Allen's back and into his hair.

"You're not too shabby yourself," moving in for another lingering kiss, and they stayed there, rediscovering one another until the bathwater turned cold.

 

"So. You've got two good arms and one good leg. And I've got two good legs and one good arm. Anything else?" Allen was taking stock of their assets as they were lying in bed later.

"We have a cat." Who was presently hogging the sofa all to herself.

"Yes. We do."

"She's got four good legs."

" _And_ two good eyes, so she's in better shape than either of us," Allen chuckled as he turned on his side to face Kanda, "and there's a lot of things I want to talk to you about."

"Why am I not thrilled."

Nonplussed, Allen went on, "but first, are you gonna tell me the _real_ reason you were sleeping on the sofa?"

Kanda reached out his hand to touch Allen's cheek. "Bed felt too big…and cold."

Allen squished himself up against Kanda. "How about now?" he whispered.

"Much better. We can talk tomorrow," letting Allen's warmth soak into him. A gentle rain was falling outside as they wrapped themselves up in the blanket.

"I'm home," Allen murmured.

"Welcome home," came the soft reply, and the sound of the rain lulled them into the first peaceful sleep they'd had in days.


End file.
